The present invention relates in general to safety belt harness asemblies employed to safely restrain an occupant within a vehicle seat during emergency conditions encountered by the vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a continuous single loop safety belt harness assembly which is easily utilized by the occupant of the vehicle and which is mounted and stored entirely within and upon the vehicle door when not in use.
Various approaches to the problem of convenience and secure passenger restraint have utilized a safety belt system mounted partially upon the vehicle door. These systems, in general, have involved the use of roof and/or door mounted multiple retraction mechanisms, slidable carriers or pulleys and electrical motors. These approaches to the problem have been complicated, sophisticated and expensive to manufacture, install and maintain. Additionally, in the aforementioned systems, the safety belt webbing remains within the passenger compartment of the vehicle as an impediment to unobstructed entrance and egress. Examples of these systems are found in the prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,679,229 (Weststrate), 3,770,078 (Keppel) and 3,777,840 (Botnick).
A counter-approach to the problem of expense and complexity has been the so-called "continuous loop system" or "three-point system," wherein a single floor or roof mounted retractor anchors one end of a safety belt, the second end of which is attached to either the roof or floor opposite the retractor. A central portion of the belt is then connected in some manner to the floor of the vehicle, such that the belt is drawn across the occupant forming a pelvic/torso safety harness. Examples of these approaches are found in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,258,293 (Sharp) and 3,606,455 (Carter) as well as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 580,766 (Henderson and Close).
In these prior continuous single loop systems the belt has remained stretched across the various portions of the passenger compartment of the vehicle or has been hung across door openings normally used for entrance or egress by the occupants, and has thus constituted an obstacle which is hazardous or, at the very least, annoying to the occupants upon entrance or egress.